There is a wealth of academic research that suggests that differences in risk appetite are at the heart of differences in career and business trajectories.  We wanted to go beyond the theory and ask real people from the community about their perspectives and experiences with risk and risk taking.

Kalia Nurse | Florida Licensed Realtor

“The biggest risk of all is not taking one!” I learned this in my later years of life after not feeling satisfied at my full-time job, looking at my non-existent savings account, and feeling that a piece of the puzzle of my life was missing. Providing a better quality of life for my child became the driving force for the ultimate risk of my life that I was about to take. I stepped out on faith and pursued a real estate career with uncertainty yet a heart full of hope. As my real estate career took off, it afforded me so many opportunities to help so many individuals and families pursue their dreams of being a home owner and/or investor. That missing puzzle that was missing was to be a servant to my community and helping families obtain generational wealth through real estate. Read more>>

Ekaterina Khromin | Artist

I think art is something that I was born to do. I discovered from an early age that I felt a need to explore my own artistic drive and my creative ambition. My art laid the groundwork for me to pursue my vision as a lifetime goal. I do not have a budget. My professional needs dictate my decisions about the budget. My work and my life balance often change to meet the demands of my art projects. Each art project has its​ own step by step process. I strive to have a balance between my art projects and my life balance. I enjoy book talks, lectures about the history and different cultures, and I make time to rest and take care of myself. I believe as an artist and a creator that risk has always played a prominent role in my life and in my career. Read more>>

Jessille Starkman & Andrea Dominguez | Jessille Starkman, Industrial Engineer & Andrea Dominguez Professional Watercraft Racer

There is always risk involved in starting a business, however starting a business during a pandemic seems overly risky. Jessille and Andrea decided to take a leap of faith when most would decide to pull back. They are firm believers that the bigger the risk the bigger the reward, and they know that an important part of success is to believe that the impossible is possible. The entrepreneurs have decided to sweat instead of sigh and have founded a boutique bakery, Forestta. The idea behind Forestta is to create an artisanal and artistic bakery, breaking with market paradigms. They want to offer the consumer a full sensorial experience, a space and time to disconnect from the everyday. Read more>>

Emma Batchelder | Creative Director

As the age old saying goes, “without risk, there is no reward”! Taking risks has been something I have done often in my life, however I am not necessarily a rash person. I do take time to think things through carefully and methodically before making big decisions, but often I have been known to just bite the bullet and go for it. When I was in my very early twenties I was in the south of France with my two best girlfriends, found out about the world of crewing on super yachts, and decided to go do that instead of starting my newly accepted job at an Ad Agency in London. Granted I was young and probably somewhat foolish, but it turned out to be an amazing experience and one that I stuck with for seven years working my way up to a Chief Stew position on yachts as big as 230ft. I learnt so much about the hospitality industry from my career on yachts and that knowledge proves invaluable all the time still. Read more>>

Daniel Reyes | Tattoo Artist & Painter

This is a tricky one, one I’ve struggled with through my tattooing career. I’m the type of person that can get comfortable in a situation if it’s not entirely horrible. But I will say that my masochism for these bad situations has made me reach breaking points where I find myself taking big risks that really paid off and have improved my life immensely. My even being in the industry I’m in was a risk. I had initially wanted to be an art teacher but it didn’t play out that way. I started apprenticing and doing horrible tattoos on my myself and my friends. My parents never thought it was a good idea and didn’t agree with what I was doing with my life. Tattooing isn’t the first thing you think of when you bring up the topic of financial success but the hard work has paid off. Leaving my first shop was a scary risk. Read more>>

Munirah Rimer | Batik Artist & Mompreneur

Life is a risk, isn’t it? The definition of risk is a situation involving exposure to danger which for me means moving out of my comfort zone. I was born and raised in Malaysia. At the tender age of 13, I moved from the family home which is on a fruit orchard in northern Malaysia to a boarding school in Kuala Lumpur. I excelled as a student and survived boarding school before making the big decision to attend the University of Miami. Though moving to Kuala Lumpur was a big move, moving to Miami was enormous. What was I to expect in the United States? Over twenty years later, I’m still here in Miami and for the last four years I’ve dedicated my life to connecting back to my Malaysian roots by teaching batik art – before the pandemic in my home studio – and now virtually throughout the United States via Zoom. Read more>>